Progress of Stream Measurements
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
4* Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 174 Series P, Hydrographic Progress Reports, 50 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR RETURN TO THE BOOKCASES & FILES c THE HYDRO-COMPUTING SECTION, WATL RESOURqg^RQpgiji UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, WASHINGTON, D.C PROGRESS OF STREAM MEASUREMENTS THE CALENDAR YEAR 1905 PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF F. H. NEWELL PART X, Western Gulf of Mexico and Rio Grande Drainages BY T. U. TAYLOR and JOHN C. HOYT WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1906 CONTENTS. Introduction.... .....................__.................._...._......_... 1 Organization and scope of work ....................................... 1 Definitions. ....................................^..................... 3 Explanation of tables................................................. 4 Convenient equivalents............................................... 5 Field methods of measuring stream flow ............................... 6 Office methods of computing run-off................................... 10 Cooperation and acknowledgments .................................... 12 Sabine River drainage basin............................................... 13 Description of basin .................................................. 13 Sabine River near Longview, Tex...................................... 13 Neches River at Evadale, Tex.......................................... 15 Trinity River drainage basin .............................................. 17 Description of basin .................................................. 17 Trinity River at Riverside, Tex ....................................... 17 Brazos River drainage basin............................................... 19 Description of basin .................................................. 19 Brazos River at Waco, Tex ................'....................*........ 19 Brazos River at Richmond, Tex....................................... 21 Colorado River (of Texas) drainage basin.................................. 24 Description of basin ...._._..........____ ............................ 24 Colorado River at Austin, Tex ........................................ 24 Colorado River at Columbus, Tex ..................................... 27 San Saba River near San Saba, Tex..................................... 29 Bartons Springs near Austin, Tex...................................... 30 Guadalupe River drainage basin........................................... 31 Description of basin .................................................. 31 Guadalupe River near Cuero, Tex..................................... 31 Comal River at New Braunfels, Tex................................... 33 San Antonio River drainage basin ......................................... 34 Description of basin .................................................. 34 San Antonio River at San Antonio, Tex................................ 34 Nueces River drainage basin .............................................. 35 Description of basin .................................................. 35 Leona River at Uvalde, Tex ........................................... 35 Rio Grande drainage basin. ............................................... 35 Description of basin .................................... ............. 35 Rio Grande near Del Norte, Colo...................................... 36 Rio Grande near Lobatos, Colo ......................................... 39 Rio Grande near San Ildefonso, N. Mex ................-...-..-.'.--.-- 41 Rio Grande near San Marcial, N. Mex................................. 43 Rio Grande near El Paso, Tex................... .... ................ 49 Rio Grande above Presidio, Tex....................................... 54 in IV CONTENTS. Rio Grande drainage basin Continued. Page. Rio Conchos near Ojinaga, Mexico .................................... 58 Rio Grande below Presidio, Tex ...................................... 58 Rio Grande near Langtry, Tex .......................i................ 63 Rio Grande below mouth of Devils River, Tex .......................... 67 Rio Grande at Eagle Pass, Tex........................................ 71 Rio Grande near Laredo, Tex......................................... 76 Rio Grande near Roma, Tex.......................................... 78 Rio Grande near Brownsville, Tex ..................................... 81 Rio Salada near Guerrero, Tamaulipas, Mexico......................... 84 Rio San Juan near Santa Rosalia ranch, Tamaulipas, Mexico............ 87 Conejos River near Mogote, Colo...................................... 90 Pecos River at Santa Rosa, N. Mex.................."..............-... 93 Pecos River near Fort Sumner, N. Mex................................ 95 Pecos River near Roswell, N. Mex .................................... 97 Pecos River near Dayton, N. Mex. ..................................... 99 Pecos River at Carlsbad, N. Mex.._.........._..............-......... 102 Pecos River and Margueretta flume near Pecos, Tex.................... 105 Pecos River near Moorhead, Tex...................................... 110 Gallinas River near Las Vegas, N. Mex................................ 115 Hondo River at Roswell, N. Mex..........-.-...-.,.......---.-....... 117 Hondo River at Hondo reservoir site, N. Mex.......................... 118 Taylor-Moore ditch near Roswell, N. Mex ............................. 120 Penasco River near Dayton, N. Mex................................... 121 Devils River at Devils River, Tex...................................... 123 San Felipe Creek at Del Rio, Tex...................................... 127 Las Moras Creek near Brackettville, Tex..................-'............ 127 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. PLATE I. Map showing location of principal gaging stations in the United States. 2 FIG. 1. Cable station, showing section of the river, car, gage, etc..........----. 7 2. Discharge, mean-velocity, and area curves for South Fork of Skykomish River near Index, Wash........................... .-.-.....-.-.-.. 11 PROGRESS REPORT OF STREAM MEASUREMENTS FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 1905. PART X. By T. U. TAYLOR and JOHN C. HOYT. INTRODUCTION. ORGANIZATION AND SCOPE OF WORK. The hydrographic work of the United States Geological Survey includes the col lection of facts concerning and the study of conditions affecting the behavior of water from the time it reaches the earth as rain or snow until it joins the oceans or great navigable rivers. These investigations became a distinct feature of the work of the Survey in the fall of 1888, when an instruction camp was established at Embudo, N. Mex. The first specific appropriation for gaging streams was made by the act of August 18, 1894, which contained an item of $12,500 "for gauging the streams and determining the water supply of the United States, including the investigation of underground currents and artesian wells in the arid and semiarid sections." (28 Stat. L., p. 398.) Since that time the appropriations have been gradually increased, as shown by the following table: Annual appropriations for hydrographic surveys for the fiscal years ending June 8.0, 1895 to 1906. 1895...................................... $12,500 1901...................................... $100,000 1896...................................... 20.000 1902...................................... 100,000 1897....................................... 50,000 1903...................................... 200,000 1898...................................... 50,000 1904...................................... 200,000 1899...................................... 50,000 1905...................................... 200,000 1900...................................... 50,000 1906...................................... 200,000 As a result of the increased appropriations the work has been greatly extended, and at the same time it has been more thoroughly systemized by the adoption of standard methods and by grouping the States into districts, in. each of which a dis trict hydrographer and a corps of assistants carry on a comprehensive study of the hydrographic resources. The chief features of the hydrographic work are the collection of data relating to the flow of the surface waters and the study of the conditions affecting this flow. Information is also collected concerning river profiles, duration and magnitude of floods, water power, etc., which may be of use in hydrographic studies. This work includes the study of the hydrography of every important river basin in the United States, and is of direct value in the commercial and agricultural development of the country. In order to collect the material from which estimates of daily flow are made, gaging stations are established. The selection of a site for a gaging station and the length of time it is maintained depend largely on the physical features and the needs of each locality. If the water is to be used for power, special effort is made to obtain 2 STREAM MEASUREMENTS IN 1905, PART X. information concerning the minimum flow; if water is to be stored; the maximum flow receives special attention. In all sections of the country permanent gaging stations are maintained for general statistical purposes to show the conditions exist ing through long periods. They are also used as primary stations, and their records, in connection with short series of measurements, serve as bases for estimating the flow at other points in the drainage basin. During the calendar year 1905 the Division of Hydrography has continued meas uring the flow of streams on the same